Homemade Bagels Recipe

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Homemade Bagels is a simple recipe for delicious, chewy water bagels. This recipe is made without milk or butter, and if you leave off the egg wash, the bagels are vegan.

Bagels are traditionally considered a classic "Jewish" food, and they're typically made without dairy. And, if you want to make them vegan, just don't use the egg wash.

These chewy, round bread rings are served at Sunday brunches and special events, accompanied by spreads and deli salads. They're especially popular in New York City and Long Island, where bagel shops are everywhere.

However, making them at home is a lot more cost-effective than buying them from specialty shops. So, if you like to bake from scratch and try new things, this homemade bagels recipe is for you!

Of course, you can always find packaged bagels in the grocery store, but mass-produced options simply cannot replicate the authentic, dense texture and shiny crust of fresh, boiled-and-baked water bagels.

And you can choose how dark you make them. Coat them really well and bake them a little longer for a darker crust.

The instructions may look daunting at first glance, but it's actually a simple, step-by-step recipe.

Note:

This recipe doesn't call to proof the yeast directly in the instructions (only in the notes), so you need to make sure that your dry yeast is fresh (i.e., not dead). If you are not sure, then test it first.

Take the yeast and the sugar with a little of the warm water and set aside for around 5-7 minutes. If your yeast is alive, bubbles will form in the mixture. If they don't, you need to use another yeast.

What is needed to make homemade water bagels?

bread flour or all-purpose flour
dry yeast
salt
oil
white granulated sugar
brown sugar (or barley malt syrup, if desired)
baking soda
salt
Optional toppings
egg yolk
! Topping suggestions
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Kosher salt
Dried onion flakes
Dried garlic

What is a bagel?

Bagels are dense bread rings made from dough that is briefly boiled and then baked. They're chewy on the inside, while the outside is often crisp when they're fresh out of the oven.

What makes a bagel unique is boiling the dough before baking, which helps create its signature glossy, chewy crust.

Bagels are often topped with extras such as sesame or poppy seeds, large-grain salt (kosher salt), or a mixture of toppings, like an "everything" bagel.

What is the background of bagels?

Bagels evolved from European ring breads in Poland, where the word bajgiel first appeared in Kraków records in 1610 as a gift for new mothers. Eastern European Jewish immigrants later brought the recipe to New York's Lower East Side, where bagels were produced manually by a strict, Yiddish-speaking bakers' union (Local 338).

In the 1960s, Daniel Thompson invented the automated bagel-making machine, which allowed thousands of bagels to be shaped per hour. Not long after, the Lender family introduced frozen, pre-sliced bagels.

These two developments helped bring bagels from a regional, closely controlled specialty into grocery stores nationwide.

While it's convenient to buy bagels from the grocery store, the texture is not the same as freshly made bagels.

So, how do I make a bagel?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do you boil bagels before baking?

Bagels are boiled before baking to create their characteristic chewy texture and glossy crust. The boiling step sets the outside of the dough before it goes into the oven.

What makes homemade bagels chewy?

Boiling the shaped dough before baking is one of the key steps that gives homemade bagels their signature chewy texture. The dough itself and the baking process also contribute to the final texture.

What are water bagels?

Water bagels are bagels that are boiled in water before being baked. This traditional preparation gives them their dense, chewy texture and shiny crust.

Can I make these homemade bagels without an egg wash?

Yes, you can leave off the egg wash. The bagels will still bake properly, but the crust may not be as shiny or deeply browned.

Are these homemade bagels dairy-free?

Yes, these homemade bagels are made without milk or butter. They're a good option for anyone avoiding dairy.

Can I make these homemade bagels vegan?

Yes. To make these bagels vegan, simply leave off the egg wash. The bagel dough itself contains no milk or butter.

Want to make something delicious to go with your homemade bagel?

Here are some great deli sides to go with your bagel and lox:

Want to make another homemade breakfast bread?

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Yield: 8 bagels

Homemade Bagels Recipe

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Delicious and chewy bagels to make in your own kitchen. Traditionally dairy-free, without milk or butter, and easily adaptable to vegan.

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

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• 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, sifted
• ½ tablespoon dry yeast (make sure it's alive by blooming if you need to)*
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ⅛ cups of warm water (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)

For the boiling:

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• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or barley malt syrup, if desired)
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• ½ tablespoon salt

For the topping (if desired)

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• 1 egg yolk (for egg wash—not needed if you want vegan bagels)

Topping suggestions

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• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Kosher salt
• Dried onion flakes
• Dried garlic
• Or other topping of choice.

Instructions

Preparing the raw bagels:

1. Lightly combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl.*
2. Mix in oil and salt.
3. Slowly add the water while mixing.
4. Mix for around 5 minutes or so, until the dough is soft, similar to a thick play-dough but not sticky (slightly sticky to the touch is fine)
5. Cover the mixing bowl with the dough and let rise until it has approximately doubled in size (or you can move to another bowl that has been lightly greased with oil). **
6. After the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces (you can eyeball it or weigh them).
7. Shape each piece into a bagel. One way to do this is to roll a piece of dough into a ball and, using your thumb, make a whole in the middle of the ball and stretch it until the ball becomes the shape of a bagel (the hole should be wider than a baked bagel, because it will eventually become smaller), lightly oil the raw bagel, and place it on a sheet of baking paper on a cookie sheet or tray. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.***
8. Cover the tray of raw bagels with a piece of plastic wrap and let sit to rise for around an hour (they should become a bit poofy, and again, the time will depend on the warmth of the room), or you can leave them in the fridge overnight. DO NOT LET THEM OVERRISE.

Cooking/baking the bagels:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Fill a wide, medium-sized pot approximately ⅔ full with water (approximately 2 quarts or so) and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-high.
3. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and brown sugar or barley malt syrup.
4. If you haven't already done so (from the notes), cut the baking paper around the raw bagel (leaving at least an inch of paper so you can lift it up with your hand). Then, take a bagel with the paper and place it upside down in the water (you should be able to comfortably fit 3 or 4 bagels in the pot—do not overcrowd).
5. Cook bagels on one side for around one minute, and then carefully flip over and cook on the other side for one minute. If you want bagels that are chewier, then cook each side for two minutes. (The baking paper will come off on its own, or at least you will be able to easily remove it.) Then, carefully remove the bagels from the water and place them on a cookie sheet or baking pan with a sheet of baking paper that has been lightly coated with oil or sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with the rest of the raw bagels.
6. Beat the egg yolk and use it for an egg wash over the bagels by brushing it over the top of each one.
7. Lift each bagel VERY carefully and dip into whichever topping(s) you want, and then place back on the baking paper.
8. Place the cookie sheet or baking pan with the bagels into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are a golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and let cool (preferably on a cooling rack).

Notes

* Do not use old yeast, or it will not rise. If you are not sure, proof the yeast first to check. Place the sugar, yeast, and a little of the water in a bowl and wait for around 5 minutes to see if it bubbles. If it does, it's fine. If not, you need to use different yeast. If you do this, then the first step will be:
1) Mix the flour with the yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.
Then, you will mix in the oil and salt and slowly add the rest of the water while mixing.

** The time this takes will depend on the temperature of the room. The warmer the room, the quicker the dough will rise. In the summer, it can take well under an hour, but in the winter you can expect at least 1 ½ hours unless the room is very warm.

*** You will be cutting the baking paper around the bagels into squares (or circles), so you can do this in advance if you like.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 1175mgCarbohydrates: 98gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 16g

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